Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for textile engineers in the United States
Are textile engineer jobs in demand?
Textile engineer job and salary trends over time
Textile engineer jobs over time
Textile engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 140 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 138 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 139 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 133 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 126 | 0.00% |
Average textile engineer salary over time
Textile engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $98,398 | $47.31 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | $97,369 | $46.81 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $96,285 | $46.29 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $95,002 | $45.67 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $93,265 | $44.84 | +1.0% |
Textile engineer jobs by state
Most common states for textile engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 219 | 32% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,080 | 16% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 165 | 12% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 116 | 12% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 609 | 11% |
| 6 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,030 | 10% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 868 | 10% |
| 8 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 630 | 10% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 423 | 10% |
| 10 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 694 | 9% |
| 11 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 488 | 9% |
| 12 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 284 | 9% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 803 | 8% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 530 | 8% |
| 15 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 840 | 7% |
| 16 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 460 | 7% |
| 17 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 238 | 7% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 134 | 7% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 74 | 7% |
| 20 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 600 | 6% |
Textile Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of textile engineer experts
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Thomas Jefferson University and Philadelphia University
Xavier University
Missouri State University
East Tennessee State University
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Northern Michigan University
Elon University
Merrimack College
Marietta College
University of Baltimore
Brian George Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorThomas Jefferson University and Philadelphia University
Industrial Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Textile Engineer?
Brian George Ph.D.: Talk to everyone in your company, from the top people to the operating equipment and fixing it. They all have specialized knowledge and knowing who to talk to about a problem will make you a valuable employee. Talk to people, network, keep in touch with your professors and fellow students, and don't burn your bridges. You never know when those connections will pay off in terms of collaboration or something else. Keep pursuing education in terms of seminars, expositions, and even college courses if possible. Watch what is happening in society and in other industries to try to spot trends that may be applicable in your field.
What Textile Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Brian George Ph.D.: Communication skills will continue to be important. You need to be able to talk with anyone in your industry from the executives to the people working with equipment, as well as be able to talk to people outside your industry. You have to know how to talk in a technical sense but also break it down into easy to understand language for people not in the industry. Communication via email and talking will be of primary importance, they are not the same. Understanding how textiles perform and how they are made will also continue to be important. Willingness to explore new technology and being able to understand how it can impact your business will continue to be important. Data analysis is becoming important, as a potential means to find trends but also in terms of reducing defects and analyzing the business side of things as well as data from production, research, etc. Listening to others and talking to or with people will also always be important. You need to be able to understand what your clients, supervisors, etc are asking of you.
What will help Textile Engineers increase their earning potential?
Brian George Ph.D.: Talk with your university's Career Services office and see if they have salary information that they can share with you. Try looking for salary information for similar jobs in similar areas and using that as leverage.
Or, are you asking about skills and such? If this is it, then if possibly try to double major or complete a minor. Take courses outside of your field to give yourself a broader education. Different materials are being used in the textile industry, such as metal and ceramic filaments. Take materials science classes or testing classes or microscopy classes to gain different skills or knowledge that you might not otherwise learn in your major. Try to work for a company as an intern. If you intern do the best job you can, as an internship is essentially a long term job interview. Develop relationships with your professors, as they often have contacts within the industry and can help you find a job as well as be references for future jobs or graduate school.
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer
Professor and ChairXavier University
Department Of Physics
What skills will help Textile Engineers earn the most?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Problem-solving, troubleshooting, independent learner.
Dr. Elizabeth Rozell Ph.D.
Associate Dean and Kenneth E. Meyer Professor of ManagementMissouri State University
College of Business
What skills stand out on Textile Engineer resumes?
Dr. Elizabeth Rozell Ph.D.: -Ability to identify Customer Requirements
-Knowledge of testing procedures
-Development of textile prototypes
-Product Development
-Ability to conduct failure analyses
-Laboratory Management
-R software proficiency and other data analysis software
-Familiarity with OSHA guidelines
-Ability to develop and design technical documents
-Knowledge of most current testing methods
-Ability to design textile studies
What soft skills should all Textile Engineers possess?
Dr. Elizabeth Rozell Ph.D.: -Creativity.
-Problem-solving skills.
-Teamwork and collaboration.
-Listening skills.
-Communication skills.
-Ability to work under pressure.
-Leadership.
-Analytical thinking.
-Attention to detail.
What skills will help Textile Engineers earn the most?
Dr. Elizabeth Rozell Ph.D.: In the current industry, proficiency in various technical skills will enable the person to be more marketable.
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty CoordinatorEast Tennessee State University
Surveying and Mapping
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Textile Engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson: Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
Dr. Galen Duree
Head of the Department of Physics and Optical Engineering and ProfessorRose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Department of Physics and Optical Engineering
What experience really stands out on Textile Engineer resumes?
Dr. Galen Duree: It depends on what you are applying for. If you are working on product development, then internships or co-ops provide a definite advantage. If you are working on developing new ways of doing things, research experiences in academia or companies are advantageous. Either case, this shows a certain maturity in your career path - you have participated in an activity related to the career you are currently pursuing.
What Textile Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Galen Duree: It again depends on what the graduate sees as their next step - graduate school or a job with a company or lab. If the next step is graduate school, the graduate should investigate what they are interested in pursuing and then where the best school is to get the experience that the graduate thinks he or she wants.
General reading about technologies or reading available articles about subjects the graduate is interested in will help generate questions they can ask potential graduate schools. This time would also be a chance to improve areas where the graduate may feel weak while an undergraduate. Many online resources can help them brush up on week background topics. Do not worry about transfer credits because that is usually not helpful in graduate school, but improve knowledge and experience in areas where the graduate feels weak. If the graduate has identified a graduate school and program to study in, the graduate school might have some recommendations about what to review. All of this will help improve success in graduate school.
If the next step is a job with a company or lab, taking courses to improve communication will help. Many technically competent or even technically brilliant people struggle with effective communication. Techniques about writing reports, making oral presentations, or communicating technical information will help improve success. The gap year also provides time to investigate technologies that the graduate wants to be involved in and the companies or labs in those areas.
Once the graduate has identified areas of interest and companies or labs that the graduate might want to work for, they can be contacted to either answer questions or point the graduate in a direction for further investigation.
In either case, a gap year can provide a chance to refine the graduate's choice for the next steps and help them prepare other skills overlooked during the undergraduate years.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Textile Engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Galen Duree: People with knowledge, even introductory experience, in quantum effects, quantum computing, optics in general (communication, measurements, imaging, illumination, detection), material science and engineering, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, will be in high demand.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Textile Engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill: From what we've seen, salaries haven't been reduced, even though demand is down. I would expect wages and salary progression to remain strong as the need for engineering will only continue to grow.
What type of skills will young Textile Engineers need?
John Ring: While our universities consistently educate engineering students with hard skills and strong engineering fundamentals, tomorrow's engineers need to be strong communicators, collaborators, and critical thinkers. Our professional environments are filled with data and information, and the constraint is typically how much time individuals can dedicate to solving a problem. At Elon University, we educate tomorrow's engineers to have the hard skills necessary to analyze the information and situations, apply critical thinking techniques to determine ways to solve the issue, and then concisely and efficiently communicate with colleagues as solutions are being set in motion.
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Mechanical EngineeringMerrimack College
Departmet of Mechanical Engineering
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Textile Engineers?
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.: In terms of job opportunities, no. It may take longer to secure that first job, and it may be an employer's job market for the next several years. This means starting salaries may not be as high as a year ago, and yearly raises may be near zero up to 3% (depending on career fields and markets). Additionally, some benefits, such as tuition reimbursement, may not be available at some companies.
However, I strongly suspect that things will get better (as a wild guess) in 3 - 5 years as the economy rebounds. For the immediate future, the full economic effects of the pandemic have not been fully realized. As companies restructure to deal with their impact on their bottom lines and workers are laid-off, more experienced employees are entering the job marking and seeking jobs. This is very similar to the financial system crash around 2008, so that could be referenced for a similar environment, especially its effect on the Midwest. Job seekers must be persistent.
For enduring changes, the pandemic has presented a great opportunity to change the nature of where we do work. This experiment has been tried before at places like Yahoo, for example. Pre-pandemic, some companies allowed workers to work from home several times per month under flexible scheduling. I believe the coronavirus pandemic will make these types of work options a larger part of the business workplace culture. Additionally, many companies are actively working to enhance their diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. With this renewed attention, there may be more opportunities for workers that are women, BIPOC, LBGQT+, and others to rewrite and form new workplace norms to have new working environments. I strongly encourage people to take their seats at this table and create the world you wish to work in.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Textile Engineers?
Ben Ebenhack: I believe that the impact of the pandemic on the US economy is still unfolding and that we won't be able to see any kind of robust turnaround until vaccines are widely available and seen, in practice, to be effective. Until that time, I suspect that we'll continue to see a lot of volatility as investors speculate about recovery, reopening, etc., but the trends will probably vacillate.
Once the pandemic is clearly seen to be reasonably well-controlled, I think that there will be a good deal of pent-up demand for energy and its services. I expect to see a modest recovery in energy prices, but that may not translate to jobs for a few years. Ultimately, the world's need for energy will drive prices up, and there will probably be another boom. Everyone should remember that half of humanity (~3.5 billion people) lack access to modern energy, on which development depends. With global economic recovery, I would expect that to apply considerable upward pressure on energy (and related resource) demands for the next several decades. Alternative energy will continue to grow, but I don't think it can grow as fast as some optimists expect.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Textile Engineers?
Dr. Giovanni Vincenti: COVID-19 put into perspective the importance of technology for everyone. Those people who would typically work in fully staffed offices and took IT systems for granted have now realized how the lack of dedicated personnel and resources is a significant issue as everyone is working from home. The same realization has also reached upper-management, often creating a nearly immediate need for innovation that would have otherwise remained just a plan for the future. Graduates in the IT field and technology, in general, will benefit from this realization, as projects move from the planning stage into implementation and eventually maintenance. This increment in reliance on IT-related resources will create a greater need for employment.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Textile Engineers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Giovanni Vincenti: Cities that are typically associated with technology will probably remain hubs of innovation, especially if they have local administrations that are favorable towards entrepreneurship. However, the recent need for companies to leverage the ability to work remotely has opened up the possibilities of workers who may not otherwise be willing to relocate. This trend is probably here to stay for a while, so the ability of graduates to work with virtual collaborators will bring tech jobs to parts of the country that are not typically known for innovation. Even though there probably will not be clusters that will identify new equivalents of Silicon Valley out of nowhere, the fact that the reach of potential employees has extended beyond their geographical immediacy will create major opportunities for any location.